BARRACUDA server upgrade has been initiated. We'll upgrade MySQL (to Maria DB) and also Apache/PHP. You'll be able to use old versions of PHP (5.6) and new (PHP 7.x) after upgrade.

Server will be up and down during this upgrade. Email services (POP3/SMTP) are not affected. Please do not make any backups during upgrade procedure. We've already generated all backups.

We'll update this article once we complete all upgrades.

Thank you for your patience!

Your friends @ WestNIC

=========

STAGE 5: INI_SET ERRORS REPORTED. FIXED AT 01/11/2018 22:10.

STAGE 4 APACHE SERVER HAS BEEN RESTARTED 01/11/2018 22:03. STANDING BY FOR ANY ISSUES WITH PHP.

STAGE 3 HAS BEEN COMPLETED 01/11/2018 22:58. MULTI-PHP SUPPORT IS NOW ACTIVE.

STAGE 3 HAS BEEN INITIATED 01/11/2018 21:51. MULTI-PHP SUPPORT (5.6 - 7.X) WILL BE ENABLED.

STAGE 2 HAS BEEN COMPLETED 01/11/2018 21:48. MYSQL HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO MARIA DB. APACHE HAS BEEN UPGRADED FROM 2.2 TO 2.4.X.

STAGE 1 HAS BEEN COMPLETED 01/10/2018 22:30 EST. BACKUPS HAVE BEEN MOVED TO OFFSITE BACKUP SERVER.

]]>Dear customers,

"LYNX" server has been online since 2015 and now it's time to upgrade. First of all, we're going to backup all data to the offsite server (fresh backups). This has been scheduled for April 1st - April 2nd. Then we'll update MySQL to MariaDB 10.0. Old MySQL 5.6 has been depreciated and will be removed from all servers by 2018.We'll also add multi-PHP support. Users will be able to choose any version of PHP (from 5.6 to 7.x) within cPanel. After all PHP/MySQL/Apache upgrades, all accounts will be moved to new server with large 2 TB SSDs (data center edition). This has been scheduled for April 8th.

What will change:

1. Server ID will change from LYNX to LEOPARD. All control panel URLs will change.2. Host IP will change. If you use external DNS, please contact us AFTER April 7th, 2017. 3. MySQL will be upgraded, 5.6 will be replaced with MariaDB 10.0.4. Multi-PHP support will be enabled.5. All SSLs will be reinstalled.

DNS will remain the same.

All upgrades will be completed by April 9th. We do not expect any downtime because accounts will be copied over. However, old server may experience slow-downs due to intensive MySQL upgrade and backup process. We appreciate your patience during upgrade procedure.

Thank you,

WestNIC support

]]>Dear Customers,

We're happy to announce that new cPanel feature "Let's Encrypt SSL" has been added to most reseller and SD servers.

We've been offering free commercial grade dedicated SSLs from Comodo and RapidSSL since 2005. Now each semi-dedicated or reseller plan will include more 1 year SSLs for your convenience.

In addition to that, each reseller or semi-dedicated package will include MORE free security certificates from "Let's Encrypt Authority" (LEA). At this time we're offering 5 LEA certificates per customer due to per server limitations.

Let's Encrypt is a public interest initiative [501(c)(3)] backed by ISRG, EFF, Cisco, Mozilla, Akami and others. It's aim is to provide free SSL to all websites on the internet so that all web traffic is encrypted.

All reseller and SD servers have been upgraded in order to activate AutoSSL option.

Questions and answers about new SSL feature:

What is the difference between dedicated SSL from Comodo or Geotrust you offer and Let's Encrypt?

Pros:

1. It's free.1. SSL is being issued in 1-2 minutes.2. Renewals are automatic.3. 99.9% browser support (same level as Geotrust and Comodo).

Cons:

1. SSL is being issued for 3 months. However, renewals are automatic.2. Let's Encrypt SSL is new and not yet recognized by end-users. In other words, it's not recommended for e-commerce. Tech savvy users may refuse to pay for goods/services if they see free SSL.3. There is no seal / verification image.4. SSL cannot be transferred, there are no keys to backup.5. Key size is 2048 bits.

No, because there is a limit of 100 SSL requests per server. Right now we're offering 5 Let's Encrypt SSLs per reseller or SD customer on "first come, first served" basis.

Are you planning to offer more free SSLs from Let's Encrypt?

Certainly. This feature is new and will be improved next year.

Do I need to submit my name, address, phone, email, company information and so on in order to get Let's Encrypt SSL?

There is no need for that. You can request Let's Encrypt SSL via support desk or live chat: http://westnic.net/contact/The only thing we need from you - domain name and username to cPanel. SSL will be installed in minutes.

Can I install free Let's Encrypt SSL on addon or subdomain name added via cPanel?

Unfortunately, this wouldn't be possible.

We hope you'll enjoy new free SSL feature and would like to say thank you for continued support!

Your friends at WestNIC

]]>Dear customers,

We're now testing new online chat: http://www.westnic.net/contact/ In the future (as soon as we finish testing new platform) it will work from 10 AM to 6 PM EST Monday to Friday.

If you experience any issues during test period (07/07/2016 - 10/01/2016), please let us know via email or support desk.

As always, support desk ( https://support.westnic.net ) is available 24/7/365.

Thank you for your continued support,

WestNIC Staff

]]>Hello,

UPDATE #2: 12.30.2015 0:55 EST: server is online, all SSD hard drives have been checked for errors. There are no issues.

If you experience any issues on PANTHER server, please contact us at any time via support.westnic.net

Thank you,WestNIC support

]]>Dear customers,

We're going to upgrade MySQL on "Elephant" server on Sunday, December 6th 2015, between 2 AM EST and 6 AM EST. We do not expect any downtime, however, some users with old pre-4.1 mysql passwords may see "cannot connect to data base" error. This can be fixed quickly by resetting mysql db user password within cPanel (cPanel > MySQL > MySQL user > reset password). Then you need to update MySQL db user password in PHP configuration file.

Old MySQL version 5.5 has been officially depreciated. New version: 5.6 (we'll use it until January 2018).

Thank you,

WestNIC Support,https://support.westnic.net

]]>Dear customers,

We're going to upgrade "Leopard" server between December 5th, 2015 and December 8th, 2015. We do not expect any downtime because cPanel accounts will be copied over. New server has latest Intel processors, more memory and SSD storage in RAID-1 array. 3x faster access, x5 memory per account and unmetered 1000 Mbps bandwidth (free of charge)!

IMPORTANT

1. While we do not expect any issues after transfer, some websites with old (outdated) php scripts will stop working due to MySQL and PHP upgrade. MySQL version is: 5.6.x and PHP 5.6.x. Please contact your script vendor for newest scripts.

2. Old server will be accessible by December 10th, 2:00 EST. If you need any backups, please generate then download via cpanel > backups. Our backups (generated on 12/05/15) will be available until January 30th, 2016.

FAQ

Are you planning to change DNS (name servers ns1 and ns2)?

No, DNS will remain the same.

Will you install RVsitebuilder and Softculous on new server?

It has been already installed.

Are you going to change any passwords?

There is no need to change cPanel passwords. We'll copy accounts from one server to another. If you used old pre-4.1 MySQL passwords, those will be reset during transfer. You need to change passwords again via cPanel then update configuration files.

Is it possible to run PHP 5.3x just for couple of days on new server?

No, PHP 5.3x has been depreciated.

How would I access new server?

Please type /whm or /cpanel at the end of domain name.

I use external DNS, do you I have to change A record? Is there new IP?

Yes, IP will be different, please contact technical support for assistance.

Thank you,

WestNIC technical support,https://support.westnic.net

]]>Dear customers,

UPDATE #2: transfer has been completed on December 20th, 2015.UPDATE #1: transfer has been postponed to December 19th, 2015 6 AM - 6 PM EST.

We're going to upgrade cheetah server on December 19th, 2015 between 2 AM and 2 PM EST. We do not expect any downtime because cPanel accounts will be copied over. New server has latest Intel processors (2630 v3, 2.4 GHz), more memory and SSD storage in RAID-1 array. 3x faster access, x5 memory per account and unmetered 1000 Mbps bandwidth (free of charge)!

IMPORTANT

1. While we do not expect any issues after transfer, some websites with old (outdated) php scripts will stop working due to MySQL and PHP upgrade. MySQL version is: 5.6.x and PHP 5.6.x. Please contact your script vendor for newest scripts.

2. cPanel trial license warning will disappear by itself by December 22nd, 2015.

3. Old server will be accessible by November 30th, 21:00 EST. If you need any backups, please generate then download via cpanel > backups. Our backups (old, generated on 11/20/15) will be available until January 30th, 2016.

FAQ

Are you planning to change DNS (name servers ns1 and ns2)?

No, DNS will remain the same.

Will you install RVsitebuilder and Softculous on new server?

It has been already installed.

Are you going to change any passwords?

There is no need to change cPanel passwords. We'll copy accounts from one server to another.

Is it possible to run PHP 5.3x just for couple of days on new server?

No, PHP 5.3x has been depreciated.

What is the new server ID?

It will be posted here tomorrow.

I use external DNS, do you I have to change A record? Is there new IP?

Yes, IP will be different, please check back tomorrow.

Please standby for further updates.

Thank you,

WestNIC supporthttps://my.westnic.net

]]>UPDATE 2 10/10/2015 13:08 EST: transfer has been completed (at 7:15 EST). We've successfully copied all data to new server. There was no downtime, old server (dc22) is still accessible. It will be disconnected by Monday, October 12, 2015. DNS will remain the same. However, if you use external DNS (different provider), please contact us for "A" record IP. We'll provide new IP.

UPDATE 1 10/10/2015 1:58 EST: transfer has been initiated. It should be completed within next 8 hours. New server ID: barracuda. As soon as we complete transfers, we'll assign dedicated IPs and also install Softaculous (script installer). New server has SSD Pro hard drives (data center edition) and also improved backup system. In just few days you'll be able to download daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly backups using cPanel > Backups. There is no need to generate anything via cPanel. However, if you need extra fresh backup, you can do so via cPanel > Backup > Generate full cpanel backup > download. It will be generated x5 faster than on dc22 server due to SSD storage, new processor (v3) and improved DDR3 memory. But most importantly, all sites will be loading faster than ever before!

Known issues after successful transfer:

1. New server has new PHP 5.6.x and new MySQL 5.6. Some very old scripts will stop working correctly. Please backup data then upgrade scripts.2. Directories with insufficient or wrong permissions cannot be transferred between cPanel servers. Also, backup files won't contain any data inside those folders. For example, you set incorrect permissions 000 on sub-folder "/setup" inside public_html, folder "/setup" will contain no data after transfer - it will be completely blank. Please inspect all websites within next 48 hours to avoid data loss in such folders. Ideally, you should download static content from dc22 server to your Personal Computer or MAC via FTP (use IP for FTP access).3. Few (very few, issue is extremely rare) MySQL users had old pre 4.1 MySQL passwords. If you receive MySQL error "permission denied for user... @localhost" - please login to cPanel, reset MySQL password then enter new password in script config. You can also create new user/password then assign it with ALL privileges to existing data base.4. If you receive "ioncube loader" error please login to FTP then check your php.ini file for those lines:

If you use external DNS, please contact us ASAP. If you use private DNS (own DNS registered with us) or use our private DNS - no changes needed.

We thank you for your patience and cooperation during server upgrade.

WestNIC support

==============================

Notice of October 9th, 2015:

Dear customers,

All websites on DC22 server will be transferred tomorrow, October 10th, between 1 AM EST - 1 PM EST.DNS will remain the same. We do not expect any downtime because accounts will be copied over.

If you use external DNS, please contact us for new site IP. New server ID will be posted here tonight.

Why is this happening: during server inspection we've noticed that newly added accounts are not being backed up correctly. Few months ago we implemented new backup system which would allow us instantly backup all data daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Users will be able to download any backup via cPanel. At this time we provide weekly and monthly offsite backups.

Please note that new servers will have SSD hard drives (enterprise edition - data center backups with 5 year warranty) instead of 15K hard drives. This upgrade is a part of massive update of all SD (semi-dedicated) and RS (reseller) servers. New servers will have faster CPU, x2 more memory and SSD. This upgrade is free.

Please standby for more details.

Thank you,

WestNIC support

]]>Dear customers,

We've upgraded Apache and PHP on Panther server. Some *old* data base passwords have been reset. If you receive MySQL connection error, please login to cPanel then reset password for data base user again then update configuration script. Please keep your php scripts up to date.

New PHP version is: 5.6.x

New MySQL: 5.6

If you experience any issues on PANTHER server, please contact us at any time via support.westnic.net

Thank you,

WestNIC support

]]>Dear customers,

We've recently upgraded primary domain name server ns1.westnic.net. If you use following DNS:

ns1.westnic.net

ns2.westnic.net

ns3.westnic.net

NO changes needed. However, if you use private DNS and your dns1 or ns1 currently pointed to 108.168.211.33, please replace it at your domain registrar with following IP: 104.206.223.55Please complete this update ASAP to avoid any downtime because we're going to upgrade NS2 server (secondary name server) by December 1st, 2015. If you use old DNS IPs, all domain names will be down until you re-register your DNS under new IPs.

If you need any technical assistance with DNS update, please contact us at any time via https://support.westnic.net

Thank you,

WestNIC Supporthttps://support.westnic.net

]]>Dear customers,

Old server (panther2) has been online since spring 2010 and showed tremendous uptime. Unfortunately, server is failing. We've verified that both disks in RAID-1 have unrecoverable sectors. Within next few days we're going to transfer remaining accounts from panther2 server to new server. Please standby for more information.

UPD #2, 04.13.2015 6:44 EST new Dell server (panther) is online and ready for account transfers. Account transfer will be initiated in alphabetical order. Accounts over 10GB will be moved at very last moment because old server is unstable. We'll post update as soon as we initiate transfer. If you use external DNS, please change host IP (A record) to: 88.198.136.250. Dedicated SSLs will be installed later on, as soon as we complete all transfers. Old server will be up and down all day, but downtime period would be less than 30 minutes per reboot session (we expect at least 2 emergency reboots today). We thank you for patience and cooperation.

UPD #3, 04.13.2015 8:47 EST transfer from panther2 to panther server has been initiated. Please do not login to cPanel / WHM.

UPD #4, 04.13.2015 20:58 EST transfer has been completed. We didn't experience any downtime during and after transfers. Large websites will be moved within next 24 hours. We'll install SSLs as soon as we transfer IP subnet from old server. Once again, new server IP: 88.198.136.250 and DNS (name servers) didn't change:

ns1.westnic.netns2.westnic.netns3.westnic.net

Final steps would be: cPanel license transfer (right now it shows as "trial license") and Softaculous installation (script installer). Thank you for your patience.

---------

Yours,

WestNIC support,

https://support.westnic.net

]]>UPDATE #2: we're performing malware scans across other shared servers to prevent future blacklists associated with CryptoPHP malware. Accounts with malware and viruses are being suspended. If your account has been suspended, there are three options: 1. remove public_html folder with all contents then reset password and activate account (free of charge). Data bases and email users are not affected by public_html folder removal; 2. find offsite backup then run restore for $10. 3. In some cases it would be possible to run manual site cleanup to preserve current files (most of current data and data bases). This service cost $20. How to activate suspended account: https://my.westnic.net/howtos/account-has-been-suspended.html

UPDATE #1: most servers are excluded from blacklist. We're still running extensive malware and vulnerabilities scan across other (not listed at Spamhaus) servers. If you use outdated php script or plugin (wordpress, joomla, whmcs, clientexec, drupal and others), please update it ASAP (including themes and plugins). If you don't use plugins or themes, please remove it via FTP. Severely outdated software is being removed without prior warning. Compromised accounts are being suspended.

We thank you for cooperation and understanding.

=================

Dear customers,

More and more servers are getting on Spamhaus blacklist due to new malware (CryptoPHP) accidentally installed by webmasters/end-users with nulled theme, plugin etc or by bots via outdated/insecure php scripts. What is CryptoPHP?

CryptoPHP is a threat that uses backdoored Joomla, WordPress and Drupal themes and plug-ins to compromise webservers on a large scale. By publishing pirated themes and plug-ins free for anyone to use instead of having to pay for them, the CryptoPHP actor is social engineering site administrators into installing the included backdoor on their server.

After being installed on a webserver the backdoor has several options of being controlled which include command and control server communication, mail communication as well as manual control.

At this moment we have 11 shared cPanel servers blacklisted on Spamhaus network. Obviously more will be on that blacklist in the couple of days since most servers are being shared. Cleanup process is very slow. First of all, we have to install exploit scanner then perform manual scans on entire /home directory. Normally scan completes in about 6 hours. Results are dramatic: more than 40% of installed php scripts are outdated, ~5% installed with default configs (with no password set) and ~5% already hacked. Installations with default configs are being removed without warning. Compromised websites are either being suspended or terminated - it depends on how it was compromised and number of viruses/dos/malware tools installed.

If your website shows "suspended" page, please drop a ticket to https://support.westnic.net. We can provide site backup then remove public_html folder with all contents free of charge. You need to install php script and theme from scratch. If your website doesn't load at all, it most likely infected with CryptoPHP.

Nothing would ever happen to your website if you keep it secure. Avoid installing plugins and themes from unknown (not verified) vendors!

1. Install script properly in the first place then secure. It takes 1-2 hours to secure Wordpress installation, not 1 minute: https://my.westnic.net/howtos/wordpress.html

2. Physically remove unused plugins and themes (via FTP). If you install plugin, please check source! There are many infected plugins and themes.

3. Do not use usernames "admin". Create new one then assign privileges.

4. Change user/pass to cPanel every 6 months using password generator tool. Do not use own passwords like "sunny2015".

When my server will be removed from Spamhaus? I need to send very important email right now!

As soon as we complete all scans then suspend/terminate compromised websites. If you cannot reach recipient due to Spamhaus block, please use alternative sources, for example, gmail. If you use email for business, it's good idea to get business apps (gmail, Google disk etc) for domain. It cost only $5 per user/month and does provide more redundancy and reliability. We use it too and there is nothing wrong with that: cPanel server has only one or two MX records (Google provides 5) and get blacklisted 3-5 times per year. Please note that blacklist doesn't affect inbound emails.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation. We're working hard to resolve this issue ASAP.

WestNIC supporthttps://support.westnic.net

]]>Update #1 11/18/2014 20:26 EST: this issue has been resolved. Please let us know if you still cannot access websites on "jaguar" server. Thank you!

Dear customers,

We're currently experiencing networking issue with specific IP range. It should be resolved within next few hours. There is nothing wrong with server by itself. You can access your account via cPanel or WHM. You may also send and receive messages using secure server protocols (incoming/outgoing server: jaguar.westnic.net) or webmail. If you wish to use webmail, please login to cPanel > Email > Webmail.